Magicians Corner

Ace location

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:47:30 +0100

Here goes an idea.

Effect: four aces are located in the order chosen by an spectator.

Method: start with the four aces resting on top of the deck in CHASED order. This fact must be known by the you but unknown by the audience.

The spectator names one of the four aces and:
A) if the top ace (AC) is named, riffle shuffle controlling the stock à la Erdnase, adding one card to the top and go to B. If any other ace is named, you can go straight to B.
B) use the Stevens Control to riffle shuffle, cut to the right ace and complete the cut (make sure that you don’t disturb the stock). Leave the ace on the table.
If you have followed the instructions, one random card will be replacing the named ace. Double undercut the ace/s that are on the bottom to the top of the deck using the Vernon Shuffle Transfer and you are all set for the next ace.

Tips:
* Check out the description of the Vernon Shuffle Transfer in By Forces Unseen.
* The number of cards that you need to transfer to the top depends on the last ace that was named. 4 for the AD, 3 for the AS, 2 for the AH and 1 for the AC.

Any questions?

How many hours a day should you practice?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:05:43 +0100

How many hours a day should you practice?:

Interesting article that can be applied to magic.

“Thumbs out” for the recent B&Q advertising...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:30:45 +0000

“Thumbs out” for the recent B&Q advertising campaign?

King Satan (via it’s deadlicious™: King Satan)

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:56:31 +0000

King Satan (via it’s deadlicious™: King Satan)

Is Magic Art?

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:46:55 +0000

Is Magic Art?

"The secret addition of cards to a packet, or pack, is done very badly by magicians in general who..."

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:02:45 +0000

“The secret addition of cards to a packet, or pack, is done very badly by magicians in general who fail to realize that to place the card with the palmed cards flat on a pack cannot fail to rouse suspicion in the minds of the onlookers.”

- Al Baker. Magical Ways and Means (1946).

"Cards are not heavy."

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 21:13:57 +0000

“Cards are not heavy.”

- Al Baker

Eugene Burger - Editing Our Scripts

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:12:25 +0000

Eugene Burger - Editing Our Scripts:

Robert Neale outlined a great plot in ‘Life, Death and Other Card Miracles’ (2000). Eugene Burger developes this plot and some ideas about how to work on your script in this great article.

"The definitive version exist; it is just a matter of time before it is uncovered."

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 22:37:54 +0000

“The definitive version exist; it is just a matter of time before it is uncovered.”

- FULVES, Karl. 13 Prophets: New approaches to the Open Prediction (1996)

Things to add to your Xmas list: Solitaire.exe playing cards

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:19:21 +0000

themundaneworld:

iheartchaos:

Yes yes yes, it’s a deck of playing cards that look exactly like the default deck in Solitaire for Windows 95. The bad news is they’re currently out of stock, but even if you can’t get some for the holidays, get some for your birthday. Or someone else’s birthday. Or for whenever.

Product link

Ok that is pretty cool. I would add this to my collection

"In order to learn to react appropriately to stimuli, the student needs to learn how to replace the..."

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:55:34 +0000

“In order to learn to react appropriately to stimuli, the student needs to learn how to replace the instinctual and unreasoned use of the mind-body with a conscious, reasoned use of the self.”

- PRINCIPLES OF THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE and their Relevance to Music Education. Jennifer Roig-Francolí, M.AmSAT

Technical "etudes" and magic

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 12:19:13 +0000

In previous posts, I highlighted the need to understand how to practice effectively to make the most progress (ideally in the shortest time possible), and the need to look at music to see how this can be achieved.

I am considering writing a book about this subject, or at least put forward some ideas in this blog, as I feel that this issue has not been addressed in full so far, and strongly believe that the magic community would benefit of this.

The idea would be to prepare a series of practical exercises focused on training and refining a specific aspect of the performer’s technique. Such exercises are known in music as “etudes” and, basically, are pieces of technical, sometimes virtuosic difficulty, focused on one or various aspects of the technique. I don’t think that these “magical etudes” that I have in mind need to necessarily be performance pieces, but they could be.

You will hear more from me about this in the coming posts, so get ready!

I will let you work this one out, but my point is about the...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:10:00 +0100

I will let you work this one out, but my point is about the “relaxed and natural rhythm” required on any overhand shuffle.

themundaneworld: Magic Friday: Before card tricks were flashy,...

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:38:07 +0100

themundaneworld:

Magic Friday: Before card tricks were flashy, they were classy. Orson Wells being fooled by the great Jimmy Grippo.

Unbelievable Magic?

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 23:41:16 +0100

I prefer not to take praise for criticising other magicians, there are other guys around that seem to do a much better job than me, but there are some lessons to be learned, and good magic can be ruined so easily. So, with all respect to Mr Ferguson, I enjoyed the magic till minute 2:38, when I felt something sitting on my stomach like a piece of stale bread. Luckily, my feelings changed on 2:44, when I simply thought: “God, that is a huge wallet!”

The Magic of Shigeo Takagi

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:07:00 +0100

Takagi is considered the “Dai Vernon” of Japanese magic.

A must have in your magic library is The Amazing Miracles Of Shigeo Takagi (1990), which contains some jewels, such as: Takagi’s coins across, a lovely version of Triumph based on interesting handling of Tenkai’s Optical False Shuffle and Daryl’s Triumph Cutting Display, and quite a lot of magic not involving coins and cards. All in all, good magic focused on the love for simplicity and the directness of the effects - which is quite refreshing.

Colour-sense a step further

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:31:00 +0100

In these times of heated nonsense we should remain focused on what really matters.

Back to the point, I have been a great fan of Pit Hartling’s Colour-Sense, which you can find in Card Fictions. This effect uses a clever memorisation technique to replace what normally is achieved with a stacked deck and sleight of hand. Colour-sense allows you to “feel” the colours of 12 cards through the table, and a full card (suit and value) for the climax.

After spending some time with that effect, I decided to take it an step further. This will make little sense if you are not familiar with “colour sense” and mnemonic techniques. Basically, I am now able to memorise the colours of the full dek in the same time by using groups of four cards (instead of groups of three) and the person/object/action-memory palace method. If you are interested in hearing more about this, please let me know.

The moral of the story is: work on what you know to keep on improving it. “Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of an intelligent effort” John Ruskin.

FISM 2012 World Champion Yu Ho Jin - An elegant act

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:26:40 +0100

"… and that evening he asked me at least five times if I was right handed or left handed while..."

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 23:44:08 +0100

“… and that evening he asked me at least five times if I was right handed or left handed while taking a peek.”

World's Best Magician

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:05:06 +0100